


Here You Come Again

by BionicOtaku



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Cowboy AU, Domestic Discipline, Gay Cowboys, M/M, Non-Sexual Spanking, Polyamory, Spanking, and most of them weren't white, many cowboys were gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29035770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BionicOtaku/pseuds/BionicOtaku
Summary: "The stars were so bright out here. He knew that they were the same stars as they had been back in the city, but they shone with so much vigor that Koutarou could have almost believed they were different."Polyamorous cowboy au featuring Bokuakakuroken and spanking.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 34
Kudos: 35
Collections: silver dagger au





	1. Baby Come Out Tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yamadad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamadad/gifts).



> This has been in my head for a long while now and the more I write the more invested I am. Big big huge thanks to Yamadad who is always willing to play with these four with me, I love you bb <3 
> 
> Also yes, the name is from a Dolly song, but what can you expect I'm a homosexual. 
> 
> content warning for non sexual spanking.

The stars were so bright out here. He knew that they were the same stars as they had been back in the city, but they shone with so much vigor that Koutarou could have almost believed they were different. 

The light of the stars had been dulled in the city by the streetlamps and marquees, and Koutarou felt like he had been dulled down right along with them. He hadn't realized it of course, hadn't known he could feel differently. But out here, he and these stars could shine as brightly as they wanted and nobody would try to stop them.

No one out here seemed to care if he was loud, or rowdy, or if he didn't think like most folks, and if they didn't go round talking about the finer details, no one here seemed to give a damn about four young "bachelors" cohabiting.  He was so lucky to have found this life, with these people, so lucky to be out here under the bright stars and feel free, feel as though—

"Kou?" 

The questioning voice came from behind him where Tetsurou was standing on the porch. At first he just seemed mildly confused, like when the numbers on their budget didn't add up, but then his expression shifted to irritation, like when he realized the numbers didn't add up because Kenma had over spent playing cards in the saloon. 

"Mind telling me why you're out here in the middle of the night… with no shoes on?" He asked, wondering over to where Koutarou stood in the middle of the dust filled yard that connected the barn and stable to the house. 

He looked down at his feet and sure enough no boots were to be found. Just his thick wool socks. His pinky toe was sticking out of the left side and he reminded himself he needed to ask Keiji to help him fix it, although he would probably forget again like he had the last ten times but it wasn't a big deal. The look on Tetsurou's face however…

“I was just looking at the stars. Thinking about life, ‘bout everything.” 

Tetsurou’s expression softened into something sweet and wistful, but his arms were still crossed over his chest and the sigh he heaved sounded anything but pleased. “That’s real nice, Kou. Right up until the moment you get bit by a rattler.” 

His hands dropped down to his sides and for a moment Koutarou was confused, watching as Tetsurou turned away from him and bent forward slightly. “Hop on baby.” 

“Huh? Why Tetsu? The house is so close, I can walk just fine.” Koutarou said with a questioning tone, tilting his head in confusion at Tetsurou’s offer of a piggy back ride. 

“You aren’t taking another step in your stocking feet. Keji would skin me alive if you got hurt. Now come on. Up.” This time it was far more commanding so Koutarou swallowed his retort about how he had gotten all the way out here with no shoes on and instead let his gangly friend carry him the thirty yards back to the house. 

They were quiet for a moment, Koutarou resting his cheek against the corner of Tetsurou’s sharp jaw and looking down at his sock covered feet. How did he forget that? 

“So what did you conclude from your thoughts about life, huh?” Tetsurou asked as he hefted Koutarou’s weight higher on his hips. 

“It’s good, huh?” Koutarou replied without thinking. Tetsurou laughed then, not one of his huge laughs like when the Miya’s had cooked up some hairbrained scheme that turned on them, but more like the soft laugh he would save for when Keiji whispered something to him. 

“Yeah Kou, I think life is pretty good." 

The lights were out in the kitchen, but the moonlight coming in from through the window over the sink was enough to light their path as they walked inside (Tetsurou stripping off his boots) and through to the sitting room. Koutarou’s was about to climb the stairs; find his way to his bedroom and crash out. Hopefully Tetsurou would follow him, or possibly Keiji would come in when he was ready to sleep, or he would wake up with Kenma curled into his side like the kitten he was. Regardless he wasn’t ready for Tetsurou’s call of “Where do you think you’re going” 

“To bed?” He said, unsure of where else he could be going but feeling a bad omen pass through the room as he turned and saw Tetsurou sitting on the couch. His posture was lazy, but there was something behind it that set a warning shiver up Koutarou’s spine

“Oh no you don’t, baby. If you think I’m gonna let this go, especially something we have talked about before, you got another thing coming. Come ‘ere.” Tetsurou answered with a crook of his finger. 

Koutarou felt a whine forming in the back of his throat that he let fall out of his mouth without hesitation. Even though he had been here for close to a year now, and there had never been any hesitation to hand out a punishment when it was needed from any of the other three, every time was still a little scary. But just like with everything else around here, no one ever seemed to judge him for his whines or tears. 

He went without a fight, standing in front of Tetsurou and covering his eyes with his hands so he didn’t have to watch while his pants came down. Then he was propped up on his gangly lovers lap like it was nothing, his chest over the couch and his bottom over Tetsurou’s left knee. The pat of a hand made him wiggle for a moment before stilling again, Tetsuoru’s hand resting right over the crest of his left cheek. 

“What are the three things you never set foot out the door without?” Tetsurou asked, still not landing a swat but just patting in what Koutarou was sure he thought was a reassuring nature.

“Um, My hat, my boots, and my knife?” As soon as the words left his lip the first swats fell, two right in a row in the same spot making an itchy sting before Tetsurou started moving his hand all over. Koutarou gasped at the shock of the first wave as his skin started to heat up, wiggling his hips until he felt Tetsurou’s left hand slip to his outside hip to hold him still. 

“That’s right. Hat.”-three slower and harder swats right to where he would feel it most when he sat down-”Boots. And knife.”

Koutarou buried his face in the well worn fabric of the couch, trying to stave off tears. He had been told this so many times. 

“You need those three things. Before you leave the house. Every time.” Tetsurou said painfully slowly, speaking in time with his swatting hand as though the lesson would literally stick to Koutarou’s skin word for word. A string of ‘sorry’ over and over left his lips as the scolding tone and the pain that was starting to ache became too much. The tears didn’t stay back for long after that, a few rolling down his cheeks before he could wipe at them. 

“I know you’re sorry.” Tetsurou started in a softer tone, still letting his hand fall, but slowing down a little in a way that let Koutarou know they were nearing the end. “But don’t do it again or else I’ll have to give you a proper tanning.” 

That brought the first sob out of Koutarou’s throat, his chest shaking for a moment as he tried to recover his breath. He knew exactly what Tetsurou meant, had watch him hike Kenma over his leg propped up on the fence and use his thick leather belt to make an impression. It was something Koutarou had sworn he would avoid at all costs. 

He didn’t have time to dwell on the scary thought though because Tetsurou was pulling him up and into his arms, guiding his face to the crook of his neck. He hummed a soft tune under his breath, deep thick voice running like molasses over Koutarou’s anxiety, soothing his soul with something sweet and rich. His tears dried quickly, and the stress and sadness of the last few minutes wore away, leaving only tiredness. 

“Let’s go to bed baby.” Tetsurou said, drawly his head up to give him a kiss that was always so surprisingly soft. 

“Mmhhmm” Was all Koutarou managed as he slid to his feet, letting himself be elad up the stairs by his hand. “Hey Tetsu? Life is still good right?” 

The smile that he got in return was priceless. He had come because of Keiji, because he had been so enchanted by their accidental encounter, but he had stayed because of that smile. Because this place and these people, could smile like _that_ without a lick of shame and with their whole heart open for him to receive. 

“Life is fucking marvelous.” 


	2. But You Know I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two here we go! meeting some more of our cast of characters and getting a little more information about Kuroken <3 
> 
> Content warning for non sexual spanking and the use of the word queer in a not positive light but its not hateful either.

“Course I’ll show you how.” Kenma muttered down at his hands flicking playing cards, trying to suppress a smirk. Atsumu’s eyes lit up and Kenma reaffirmed his notion; there was nothing more fun than fucking with a Miya. 

“Yer really gonna show me? The single half of the not so dastardly duo asked in awe, leaning forward over the table and further into Kenma’s space. He had to bite back the desire to pull the knife holstered on his thigh. There were only three other people he tended to let that close to him and this homegrown “outlaw” wasn’t one of them. 

“I will if you back up.” He growled, observing with pleasure as the well built figure across from him sat back in his chair like one of the collies being told to sit. “Alright, it’s really not that hard once you get a sense for it.” 

* * *

An hour later Kenma’s patience was rewarded, watching from the porch of the saloon as a streak of blonde, that could be distinguished as Atsumu only by the idiotic screach noise he was making, ran down the main road, kicking up dust and followed by fire spitting sheriff. Only someone with the perfect amounts of idiocy and lack of self preservation would attempt to pickpocket Yaku, especially when it was a skill he had learned just that day. 

“Don’t try and run from me Miya! I’m gonna tan your ass till Sunday." Their ever determined sheriff yelled even as Atsumu gained ground between them. Yaku was fast, but Atsumu was tall and his stride was huge, he would have stood a chance of getting away at least for the time being if he hadn't run smack dab into the chest of an even taller man.

Tetsurou pinned one of Atsumu's arms to his back and spun him around before the blonde could blink, grabbing his ear and giving it a reprimanding tug for good measure. Kenma reveled in the disgruntled squeak.

"Why hello my dear sheriff." He started in a cheerful tone, paying no notice to his squirming captive who was spilling obscenities. "I think I caught something that belongs to you."   
  
Yaku shakes his head, hands on his hips and a disapproving glare across his brow. “No I can assure you none of mine would behave so poorly.”   
  
As if on cue there was the tinkle of a bell signally the exit of someone from the general store across the dusty road from where Kenma sat. 

“Bye Asahi! Thank you for the help, please let me know when you get the next shipment.” Lev called behind him as he lumbered out of the doorway, plopping his hat back on his head at an awkward angle before hopping down onto the road, skipping all four steps leading to the porch and leaving a trail of dust behind him as he walked over two the dramatic scene happening. 

Yaku gave his compatriot a scowl as he approached clearly displeased with him shopping on duty but said nothing, turning his attention back to Atsumu even as Lev offered him a “howdy boss” 

“Come on Miya.” Yaku started, his hand reaching out to grab for Atsumu’s wrist. 

“But-but it’s- I” Atsumu stammered dumbly. “I ain’t gonna go with ya. I was just kiddin’ around.”    
  
“Either you come with me now or I tell Kita about all of this. What’ll it be, kid? I’m pretty sure your hide would prefer me.” Yaku declared as he got his grip on Atsumu’s arm and gave a tug, freeing him from Tetsurou only to grab his arms and start frog marching him in the opposite direction. 

“What’s going on? What did Miya do?” Lev chirped as he fell in step with their sheriff.    
  
“If you’d been doing your job instead of having a social hour you’d know.” Yaku scolds before turning his head back to Tetsurou once more and offering him a nod. “Thanks for coming in with the assist.”    
  
Tetsurou just hums and waves his hand and suddenly Kenma is struck with a thought that hadn’t crossed his mind once while he watched the tragedy play out in front of him. Why was Tetsurou there? Why was his Kuroo Tetsurou there in the dusty road instead of back at the ranch? Nothing about it boded well for him and he was just about to slip back into the saloon when dark eyes flashed his way, Tetsurou turning and sauntering towards him.    
  
“You took off fast when the work was done. Any luck in there.” Tetsurou said casually, leaning against the wooden railing of the porch and tipping his hat back to smirk at Kenma.    
  
“No. Nobody worth playing with to begin with. It isn’t fun to beat suckers.” Kenma mumbled, boots kicking down off the railing as he stood, straightening out his vest and plunging his hands in his pockets. 

“So you teach them how to pick pockets instead?”    
  
Kenma paused, midway turned around to reenter the saloon, feeling a bubble of irritation and anxiety in the pit of his stomach. “Maybe. Come on, let’s have a drink.” 

Tetsurou’s smirk hadn’t changed as Kenma stood up but now it was dropping, giving up the false levity. “I don’t think so. Keiji is making dinner and we had better be back by then. I only came out here to get you cus he asked me to. Would have let ya gamble your life away otherwise.”

They both knew that was a lie, Tetsurou having taken issue with Kenma’s gambling plenty of times before when it had gone a step too far, but obviously that wasn’t what he was interested in talking about and if it was one less thing the older man wanted to nag him about then that was okay with him. With a shrug of his shoulders he turned on his heel, knowing Tetsurou would follow him out of the shade of the porch. He always had.    
  
“You didn’t ride here.” Tetsurou stated, his lanky form shadowing Kenma as they walked against the setting sun. “It’s a bit hot to walk and you would have been walking back at night.”

He made it sound like conversation, but Kenma knew he was being baited.    
  
“Tetsu, stop talking about shit you don’t actually care about and just pester me about what’s actually bothering you.”    
  
“Oh you don’t want me to do that.”    
  
The curl of danger pulled harder at his gut at that, snaking up his chest. “I don’t see why you care so much about Miya. He’s a scamp and it’s not like he could actually pull it off.” Kenma scoffed, foot hooking into Cash’s stirrup and throwing himself up. He was grateful Tetsu had brought him. Cesar only liked to behave for Tetsurou and Kenma hated to ride behind someone else.    
  
“We aren’t talking about this now.” Was the only reply shot his way as Tetsurou mounted behind him.    
  
This had been a lot more comfortable when they had been kids. Kenma’s mother had never wanted him to ride alone, not after the first time he had gotten heat stroke out in the fields and fallen off, luckily making off without a broken limb or a cracked skull. That had been before Tetsurou had come to live on the ranch and in a way Kenma had that day to thank for the man’s presence in his life now. If he hadn’t been such a frail kid, getting sick every winter and being so sensitive to the heat in the summer his parents wouldn’t have needed an extra hand and a scrawny twelve year old Tetsurou wouldn’t have been welcomed so readily when he had shown up on the doorstep with a determined face saying that he was looking for work. 

His parents hadn’t asked many questions, just enough to know that there was no one looking for Tetsurou before welcoming him into their family, and had even let him lie about being fourteen for almost two years till he had broken into tears at the kitchen table when Kenma’s mother had brought out a cake with the number sixteen skillfully piped out in preserves. Later that night when they had been laying next to each other staring at the blank ceiling Tetsurou had confessed that it had been the first birthday gift he had ever received and Kenma had known that it would be them for the long haul. He had been too young to understand what those feelings had meant but even his tiny eleven year old brain had been in love with Tetsurou. 

His parents had both died when Kenma was seventeen and there was a part of him that had wanted to sell, pack up and move to the city. But the two of them had been gifted the freedom of each other and that freedom was enough to tie him to the land.

“We are going to need to rotate soon.” 

The musing pulled Kenma’s attention out of his cloud of reminiscion, glancing over as they passed the herd. Tetsurou was of course correct, he always was. Kenma might technically own the land and all the stock, but Tetsurou was the one who ran the joint. Not that Kenma was incapable in any way, he had all the knowledge necessary, but Tetsu had the heart for it. 

“Let’s do it on Friday. Keiji is going to the exchange tomorrow and it would be easier with all four of us.” Kenma suggested as Cash trotted them into the yard, already turning his head to walk into the stable on reflex.   
  
Tetsurou hummed in agreement as they dismounted, strolling out and over to the house without a look back, just as confident that Kenma would follow him as Kenma had been of the same thing earlier. He gave Cash’s forehead a soft pat, silently communicating thanks before making his way in only steps behind his raven haired companion.    
  
He had expected for Tetsurou to be pulling off his boots in the doorway like he usually did, but instead he was standing in the entry, waiting as Koutarou jumped up from his chair and rushed over. He wrapped his arms around their newest addition, exhaling with a huff as Koutarou threw his whole weight over Tetsurou’s strong shoulders.    
  
“Hey Bo, will you be a lamb and go untack Cash for me.” Tetsurou said as they pulled apart, kissing Koutarou’s temple sweetly. “Me and Kenma have something we have to do, so he can’t do it right now.”   
  
“Of course!” Koutarou said brightly, tugging on his boots and pressing Kenma against his chest on the way out, probably not even realizing the implication of what Tetsurou had said. Keiji did though, pausing in his book to quirk an eyebrow at Kenma.    
  
“Don’t take too long. If you aren’t done by dinner I’m going to assume it’s because you were being difficult and I won’t be pleased.”    
  
Kenma scoffed, and turned on his heel, grumbling about Keiji not even knowing what he had done. Not that he would want him to know until after Tetsurou had said his piece, knowing they would share the same sentiment. His longest strides weren’t enough to put space between himself and his partner as they made their way without a word to the woodshed on the other side of the house. 

“This would have been faster if we had gotten the fight out of the way on the trip home.” Kenma groused, turning to level a glare at Tetsurou.    
  
‘Oh there isn’t going to be an argument, because you don’t have a leg to stand on.” Tetsurou started, arms folding over his chest. “But go ahead, try and defend your decision to bait a kid into trouble.”    
  
“Please, he’s hardly a kid. Probably not that much younger than I am.”    
  
“He and his brother live in a wagon, Kenma.”   
  
“Only cus they're too wild to come inside till forced!” He argues back, feeling irritation snap like twig under his foot. But it was just as brittle as a twig; once snapped it was broken, his anger turning to a simpler kind of moodiness that came with acceptance. Still he wasn’t one to go down without a fight. “I was just bored.”   
  
That made Tetsurou out right scoff, his head shaking with a slight smile of disbelief as his hands went to his belt. Kenma had expected as much but his heart still sunk at the confirmation. “Come on let’s get this over with.”    
  
Kenma rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked. He would have fought more if not for the prospect of Keiji sitting in the kitchen and leveling that disapproving glare at him. Dropping his pants like he had so many times before and letting Tetsurou pull him over his thigh, kicked up on the splitting block, was anything but comfortable, however the hand wrapped around his hip holding his shirt tails was solid and warm, far more reassuring than it had any right to be.    
  
It didn’t make much difference when the first slap of leather echoed around them though, the pain burning into his skin as he tried to jerk forward unsuccessfully. It didn’t let up as Tetsurou continued making scorching lines from the swell of his ass down to the tops of his thighs, radiating out and throbbing with the beat of his heart.    
  
“I get it Kenma, I really do. You are smart and you get bored out here, but that isn’t a good reason to teach kids to steal stuff, fully with knowledge that they’ll get caught.”    
  
“Hey I didn’t tell him who to steal from! And he was doing pretty well when he was practicing. I might have thought he would get caught at first but he was really getting it.” Kenma hissed out the end of his sentence, the next two licks coming down harder on his thighs.    
  
“You really aren’t making a good case for yourself.” Tetsurou scoffed, not letting up in his pace as one after another the swats turned Kenma’s skin from pale to dark and rosey. “You must have known I would tan you for this, right? You knew it was wrong.”    
  
“I didn’t think you would happen to step in and play marshal.”    
  
That got a half laugh in response, Tetsurou’s loud and wheezing chuckle breaking out for a second before there was silence, broken only by the crack of the belt against skin. It only lasted a moment longer though, Kenma hissing as his feet returned fully to the ground. Callused fingers brushed strands of hair off his face that had fallen from the tie at the base of his neck and stuck to the dampness on his cheeks that he would be stubbornly ignoring. He righted his pants and felt an arm over his shoulder as soon as he stood, guiding him back around to the front of their home.    
  
“Oh, and you aren’t going to the saloon alone for a month.” Kenma shot a glare sharp as the dagger that was tucked in his pocket and got raised hand raised in defense. “Talk to Keiji not me.”   
  
He wasn’t going to fight that fight he decided as they rounded the corner to face a dusky sky. Kenma stopped in his tracks, halting Tetsurou with him and listening to the still air, broken only by the sound of their own breath and that of the horses in the stable. “You know that when I say I’m bored I don’t mean… I don’t mean I’m bored of you or I’m bored of being  _ here _ . It’s just that-”   
  
“I know.” Tetsurou cut him off. “Don’t sound like you have anything to apologize for when you don’t. Well I mean, you could apologize for being an incorrigible brat.”   
  
He had said it in a joking tone, but Kenma blurted out an apology anyway, causing Tetsurou to blink at him for a moment before leaning down and pressing his lips first to his forehead and then to his lips. Kenma leaned up to meet him in the moment they had shared together so many times, letting himself sink into the feeling.    
  
The moment was broken though when there was a deep bark and he broke away to see Holly looking at them expectantly, the collie’s head tilted as though she knew she had found them in an intimate moment. He whistled to her softly as they approached, the dog coming to heel as they changed course to take her back to the barn before returning to the main house. 

“You think she’s judging us for being queer?” Tetsurou joked, as they walked up the stairs of the porch.    
  
“I think you’re projecting.”    
  
Tetsurou chuckled and was about to say something else when they both stopped dead. They had walked into the kitchen to find Koutarou sitting with his head pressed into his crossed arms, Keiji running his fingers softly over his back and humming. His head jerked up as they entered though, eyes wet with unshed tears.    
  
“I didn’t know you were in trouble!” He cried out, jumping up and clinging to Kenma like he had to Tetsurou, only Kenma had to take a step back to keep from falling over under his weight.    
  
“It’s not a big deal Kou.” He reassured, ignoring that he could feel where tears had dried to his skin and putting aside any desire he had to sulk in favor of helping their least experienced partner to understand that the inevitably of getting spanked wasn’t the end of the world. “I’m okay.”    
  
Tetsurou put both his arms around the two of them whispering another reassurance to Koutarou only to be joined by Keiji one second later. A large hand slid over Kenma’s back in a soothing fashion and he could sense the two of them leaning in to kiss over his head from where he was pressed against Koutarou’s chest. He let himself lean into the warmth of the moment, feeling his breath slow as they all stood there in the flickering oil light.    
  
“Let’s eat. It’s already late.” Keiji said, pulling from the embrace first, much to Kenma’s chagrin. He didn’t really feel much like eating, greatly preferring to be as close as possible to the men with which he would give up every possible excitement the rest of the world could offer. How could he ever leave this place when everything he could ever need was right here for him. With them he would never be bored. 


	3. Muleskinner Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Keiji walked into their lives and never walked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, hello, yes I'm back, yes this is very long and yes it had a lot of back ground information but its what we are doing so. 
> 
> This story is basically Keiji's backstory so it is set about two years before the time in which the first two chapters take place which also mean unfortunately Bokkun is yet to come into the picture at all. 
> 
> Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope some other folks can get some enjoyment out of it too. 
> 
> content warning for non sexual spanking still applies.

He was down to his last bottle of rye, Tooru noticed with annoyance, doing a quick count of the rest of the bottles lining the wall behind the bar and estimating how many pours he had left of each.. It was good that he was getting business, but these idiots and their benders were going to bleed him dry. There was still five more days till the train would come and bring his order so the likelihood of having to turn people away was high. Maybe he could bum some moonshine off Takahiro, but it would hardly be up to his standard for customers.   
  
The swish of the doors opening turns Tooru’s attention, expecting to see one of the regulars who would come in this time of day after the work in their fields was done, but rather catching the eye of a handsome young man, with slate blue eyes and dark hair who Tooru had never once seen before. He didn’t look like he was from around here either, with his flat brimmed hat and faded yellow poncho, a look of calm guardedness playing around the corners of his eyes as he walked towards the bar.   


He didn’t look like one of the out of towners who came to the saloon to start a fight though. The guard looked for more on the defensive, owl headed, like someone who was used to having to put up a fight, not start one, so Tooru didn’t give Hajime a cue, knowing he was watching from the far end of the bar like a hawk anyway.    
  
“What’ll it be, friend? Tooru asked with his usual outgoing candor. Sometimes it shocked people from other parts to see someone like him running the bar, precocious and outgoing and rather… well there wasn’t much of a kind way of putting how he came off, but when you were the only provider of libations for a good fifty miles people tended to try and stay on your good side. That and Hajime had sat in the corner of his bar everyday for the last ten years and had thrown every punch that had ever been needed to keep their peaceful saloon staying that way.    
  
“Nothing to drink.” the stranger said in a dulcet tone, softer than any part of his intimidating stance. “I’m looking for someone who can shoe my mule.”    
  
“You’re a mule-driver? What are you packing?” Tooru’s hopes rose for a moment. If he had even an ounce of luck this man might be his savior.    
  
“Tequila. About sixty gallons.”    
  
Tooru perked up more, ducking down to go for the cash box. “I’ll buy half of it.” His men didn’t prefer tequila, but they would be happy to drink it if the alternative was nothing.    
  
“Sorry, no. I’ve got a contract to fill. The goods have already been bought.” The stranger said, his voice still soft. Tooru frowned as he stood back up, thumping his elbow down on the polished wood and letting his cheek hit his hand with a sigh. “But I’ll make a deal with you. I have two bottles that were a gift from the makers to me and I’ll give them to you if in exchange you’ll get me a farrier and pay for the cost.”    
  
Well that was quick. This fellow certainly had a resourceful head on his shoulders. “You got yourself a deal! Kenma!”    
  
The small man holed up in the corner polishing a knife, looked up at the call, flipping his blade back into the handle and rising without a word, taking the two fingers of bourbon he had been nursing for the past hour with him. He didn’t say anything, just looked at the liquid swirling and waited for Tooru to continue, his eyes flicking over to the stranger every few moments, but never making it to looking him in the eyes.    
  
“This fella needs a shoe refitted for a mule. Think you can handle it for him?”    
  
“Why should I.” Kenma asked, as his finger traced his glass, finally looking over more directly at their guest. Tooru wished Tetsurou was there. He was always much easier to convince into helping out, not to mention he was easier to convince if a pretty face was involved which was certainly the case for this newcomer to their little town.    
  
“Because you should want to be a good Samaritan.” The scowl he got for that didn’t make it seem like a convincing argument. “Fine! You should do it because I let you bend your elbow in my saloon every other day and take money from  _ my _ costumer’s with your little card games that could be going to me. So unless you want me to tell your  _ friend, _ Tetsurou that I know you aren’t exactly playin’ fair, then you are gonna do me this favor.”    
  
The glare he got in return, accompanied by a sigh of “fine” was quite satisfying and Tooru accepted his bottle of tequila quite gratefully.

* * *

“I apologize for the slow pace.” The man in yellow said softly. They had been riding for maybe ten minutes or so, two mules on either side of two horses with their riders carrying heavy packs strapped to their sides. “She hasn’t been acting like herself and I don’t want to rush her.”    
  
“It’s fine. My land starts close to town so we don’t have that far to go.” Kenma replied, fingers worrying at Cash’s reins as they trotted along. This stranger was… interesting to say the least. He had barely said a word since they left the comfort of Tooru’s saloon but it didn’t seem to be because of the same nerves that kept Kenma from speaking. He had a sort of calm elegance about him that was uncommon in these parts and Kenma, who was always shifty around strangers, felt particularly disturbed by this one.    
  
But it wasn’t in a completely bad way. He wasn’t afraid or wary of this man. No, the sensation fluttering in his chest was a lot more like what he had felt when he was sixteen, watching a sweaty Tetsurou strip off his shirt in the hot air of summer and wondering why he had never taken note of him doing so before. But he was an adult now and a pretty face shouldn’t be what made him go mute.    
  
“You're a farmer?” The man asked in a soft and polite tone, conveying a lot more intent than just small talk would.    
  
“Livestock. We run a relatively small herd, but it’s enough to keep us going.”    
  
“We?”    
  
“Myself and my… partner, Tetsurou. You’ll meet him when we get there.” Kenma noticed the look of comprehension in the man’s eyes as he looked over, but there was no sign of anger so he turned to look ahead again. The barn was just coming up in the distance.   
  
“I never introduced myself properly.”-Tesurou would be mad as the dickens if Kenma brought a man home without ever making his acquaintance, going on and on about manners. “Name’s Kenma.”    
  
“Keiji.” The no longer stranger replied, glancing over at Kenma with a small and gentle smile, his indigo eyes shining in the afternoon sun, reflecting a kindred spirit that was almost too much for Kenma to bear.    
  
“I don’t cheat at cards.” He blurted out suddenly, unsure of why he felt the need to defend himself at all. “I mean, Tooru was talking about sleight of hand, but that’s different. I’ll let people bet on what card they think I’m holding, but they should know it’s a trick. I’m not slick playing poker.”

There was a long moment of silence, Kenma feeling the scrutiny coming down on him and wishing like he hadn’t wished in years that he would measure up. What was it about this man that made him want to pass inspection? He usually didn’t give a lick about others' opinions of him, but something about that soft expression and those deep eyes made him crave approval.    
  


“Alright.” was the only response he got from Keiji, directly his attention back to the mule on his right side. “I don’t have a screw loose right? She’s walking funny.”    
  
The mule was indeed looking poor on its feet and Kenma was starting to think there was a good possibility that reshoeing wasn’t the only thing amiss. “She doesn’t look happy. But don’t worry I’ll get a look in a minute.”    
  
They were just coming up a slight hill when Keiji turned his attention away from Vianca to take stock of the sight before him. There were four buildings in total, two that appeared to be barns, a stable and a large ranch house. It was well kept, with two stories and a porch that wrapped halfway around to the far side. The chimney on the left was smoking and there was a barn cat asleep on the front steps.    
  
Keiji had walked up mountains, been to rainforests and beaches, seen the flash of city lights and spent the nights under the stars of the great deserts that it took to cross the borders, but he had never seen anything that looked so welcoming.    
  
The man with the long hair- Kenma, he reminded himself, his name was Kenma- led them past the house and into one of the stables, dismounting in a graceful movement and guiding his horse to drink. Keiji did the same with Guinevere, the horse drinking gratefully without a concern in the world. The mules on the other hand looked slightly more wary and Keiji could sympathize with that.    
  
This was their version of how he had felt walking into that saloon earlier, on edge and with no guarantee of safety. He had been in enough places like that to know that they weren’t where he wanted to stay for long, too many days ending in bruised knuckles and black eyes. At first they would be his, but the more it happened the more they would belong to the other guy. It wasn’t a skill he had coveted having picked up, but it had come in handy more than once to make a little money in a ring when he needed it as well so Keiji didn’t regret having it.

Dahlia was easy to convince, but Vianca seemed to have other thoughts on the matter, giving him an upset look when he signaled the direction to move. It wasn’t unexpected, she was already mad at him for walking her so far when she was uncomfortable. It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to start that morning and now they were taking the second unexpected stop of the day. She wasn’t a lady who liked to break her ritual.    
  
“Do you think we can do it out here?” He asked Kenma, patting Vianca’s side as he did so before starting to unhook her load, guiding the barrels off her sides and to the ground. “She got more donkey in her than horse half the time. Hates doing anything when she doesn’t know why she’s doing it.”   
  
“That’s fine” Kenma half whispered, unbuttoning his smart looking vest and pulling at the longer end of the satin neckcloth, tossing both of them over the rail of the fence. It was interesting to see how Kenma’s demeanor changed after tying off his leather apron and picking up a kit of tools. Keiji hadn’t doubted his capability to perform the task he had accepted, he had learned not to miss judge people based on their appearance (or at least his appearance had taught that to others) but he did look very different in his shirt sleeves and apron.   
  
Keiji needed to stop noticing his collar bones and the cut of his jaw as he leaned down to take Vianca’s foot in his hand, tucking it between his legs in a practiced fashion and removing the shoe with ease. Now wasn’t the time and if he kept looking, a very pleasant situation could go bad fast. But Kenma’s tone when he had said another man’s name, coupled with the way that bartender was talking had given Keiji some suspicions. He was better safe than sorry though and Kenma had mentioned-   
  
“Took you long enough.” Kenma called out, not looking up from where he was bent over Vianca’s hoof, knife scraping along the surface.    
  
“Apologies, my captain.” a deep timber came from behind Keiji. Kenma didn’t look up, making a ‘tsk’ sound as an absolute tree of a man came walking towards them. Keiji wasn’t short by any means, but this man was at least six foot four, slim but with long limbs built up from a life of work keeping him from looking gangly. His hair stuck out at a funny angle from under his hat and his eyes held a glint of daring as he looked Keiji up and down before he finally gave a friendly smile. “Howdy.”    
  
“That’s Tetsurou. This is Keiji” 

The taller man sighed, closing his eyes in a false look of pain. “Kenma, I could have introduced myself.”    
  
“You would have been flannel mouthed about it. Hold this.” Kenma said curtly, holding out the shoe.    
  
“Don’t worry I’ll find plenty of other chances to be charming.” He said as he took it, giving it a spin as he turned his attention back to Keiji. “You must be pretty charming yourself if Kenma brought you here and is helping you out with…” He paused, gesturing to the mule.   
  
“Vianca.” Keiji replied.   
  
“He didn’t do anything. It was Tooru and his caterwauling, but I don’t mind. Keiji’s ace-high.” The praise was unexpected and Tetsurou seemed to think so too, blinking at Kenma as though he had done something very strange. “Come look at this.”    
  
Tetsurou towered over Kenma at Vianca’s side, examining her hoof with a grim hum. “Do you call it thrush or hoof rot in a mule?” He asked in a pondering tone.    
  
Keiji had to resist the urge to curse.    
  
“Why would you call it hoof rot? She isn’t a cow” Kenma sighed, stretching up for a moment with a sigh, making eye contact with Keiji for only a second before bending back down and continuing to clean out the apparently eroded area. “Don’t worry too much about it. Probably just wet ground or could be in her blood. If y'all have been walking for as long as you say then it wasn’t your fault.”    
  
That got a long exhale from Keiji, a hand coming up to his forehead where he could feel the tension building. “What should I do?”   
  
“I’ll clean it. Then, if you have the time, she should rest for at least a few days till the frog starts growing in clean again.”    
  
“I have the time. We were days ahead.” Keiji sighs, doing a hundred calculations in his head. “Where can I get lodging? I would just camp out, but it’s going to rain and that wouldn’t help her an inch.”    
  
“Stay here.”    
  
Tetsurou looked surprised for the second time since he had arrived, eyebrows raised high and neck pulled back slightly like he was trying to get a better look at Kenma. Keiji had to admit he was probably making a similarly comical expression. Everything about Kenma’s presence said he would be a closed off person and yet he had been more welcoming to Keiji than anyone had been in years.    
  
“If you are sure I wouldn’t be putting you out.” 

The two other men exchanged a look that was inscrutable to him before Tetsurou was turning to him and nodding. “Won’t be a hardship at all, come on let’s let Kenma finish this up and I can set you up in a room.”   
  
“I’d rather stay till it’s done. She wouldn’t like to be left alone.” Keiji insisted, his hand running down the mule’s spine.    
  
“Course, I’ll see you both for dinner.” Tetsurou said with a tip of his hat.    
  
Keiji leaned back against the wall of the barn and watched Kenma work, feeling slightly odd that he was unable to do anything but watch.    
  
“So how did you start running packs?”    
  
That was a long story and not one he normally told. But he hadn’t had a real conversation, one where people asked each other questions for the sake of it, in a long time.    
  
“Never felt very at home anywhere. Figured I should just keep moving and this seemed like an easy way to do it and get paid.” It sounded pretty sad when he put it that way, but it wasn’t really, not to Keiji. “It’s decent if you don’t mind sleeping outside and being alone.” 

“You never get lonely?” Kenma asked. It wasn’t the kind of question he was used to men asking other men. The only people who had ever asked if he got lonely were women soliciting and he had yet to ever get that lonely. 

“I have a couple books, I have a harmonica, I don’t mind it.”    
  
Kenma was silent for a moment, but it wasn’t long till he had another question, one that Keiji mirrored and soon they were speaking in a smooth flow that held none of the awkward pauses that Keiji often found himself lingering in. The night fell around them and they worked together to put away the horses and mules when Kenma had finished with Vianca who had finally agreed to enter the stable after a few more coaxing requests from Keiji.    
  
As the three of them ate a hearty meal the conversation continued, Tetsurou managing to say plenty as he tore into hunks of bread and Kenma seeming much more fiery with his partner there, throwing out deadpan jokes as he picked at his food, only eating for real after Tetsurou cleared his throat pointedly.    
  
Staring at the ceiling that night Keiji realized he had spoken more to these two men than he had to anyone other than his horse in over a year. He could hear whispering from the hall and then a distinct silence followed by the faint, almost imperceivable sound of lips parting that confirmed his speculation. Closing his eyes wasn’t possible after that. Just what had he stumbled into here?

* * *

Tetsurou was trying not to look too hard at their impromptu house guest over the breakfast table. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable or anything, but damn. For a guy who had only ever been with one other person and had lived on a ranch his whole life, Kenma sure knew how to pick 'em. He never had picked them before though. Never before had a stranger been in their house and Tetsurou had to admit that he had barely slept the night before, the knife held under his pillow feeling heavy in his hand. But nothing had happened and the more time he spent looking at Keiji the more he doubted anything would.    
  
He was mysterious for sure, but he also seemed like the honest type and from what Kenma had told him they had talked about he was an intelligent and kind person too. There was also just a little… something. That unspoken understanding that men like them shared. 

“Come on Kenma, I need help checking the herd. And then we have to make that repair to the shelter on the west side.” He started as he stood up, shoving one last piece of bread into his mouth.    
  
“I need to milk Daisy first or else she’s gonna be mad as the dickens tomorrow.” 

“Can you do it after checking the herd? If somethings wrong then we need to know early otherwise there won’t be time in the day to fix that damn wall and I’m sick of waiting to do it” 

Kenma looked like he was going to snap something back at him, but instead a quiet voice from across the table interrupted them. A short simple “I’ll do it.” coming from their guest. 

“Pardon?” Tetsurou asked, unsure of what Keiji was even volunteering for.    
  
“I’ll fix the shelter.” Keiji explained matter of factly, clearing his plate and taking it to the sink as though completely at home. “I’ll do that while you start checking the herd, then Kenma can milk- Daisy was it?”- Kenma nodded in confirmation, looking just as confused as Tetsurou- “And when he is finished he can help you finish and I should be done by then too.” 

Tetsurou just blinked. This man had really just slid himself right into their day of work without a moment of hesitation. It should have offended Tetsurou, that a stranger was taking so much initiative on his and Kenma’s land, but everything that Keiji had said made perfect sense and they really weren’t in the position to turn down help.    
  
“If you’re sure…” He started warily, unsure if it was a question or an answer himself.    
  
“I’m sure. You are both helping me, the least I can do is help you in return.” Keiji responded, offering Tetsurou a small smile. It was a smile that made his heart work a little harder than he wanted to admit and he tilted his hat down a little further as they stepped out into the sunlight, hoping it would hide the hint of blush he could feel rising on his face.    
  
  
Later when the sun was almost fully above them Kenma came trotting up on Cash to where Tetsurou was perched on Cesar, taking a deep swig of water from his canteen. He was almost done checking the herd that was on this field, but after that they needed to check on the two springers that were lower down where more shade hit the land. That could all wait though, since currently his attention was mostly being taken up by the sight of a handsome young hammering planks into place.    
  
“Everyone good up here?” Kenma asked in a small disinterested voice, even though Tetsurou knew that if everyone wasn’t good Kenma would be the first person to jump and fix it.   
  
“Yeah, the whole herd looks happy, and I’m happy too if a little confused.” Kenma shot him a raised eyebrow. “I just still haven’t totally wrapped my head around you inviting a total stranger up here. It’s not exactly what I would expect from such a famed recluse.”    
  
“First off I didn’t invite him, Tooru practically pushed him on me. Secondly, don’t make me sound like I’m a damn hermit, and thirdly I had a perfectly legitimate reason for offering him a place to stay.” Kenma said, turning his own eyes to their guest who had not even seemed to notice the attention he was drawing as he wiped his brow and replaced his hat before bending back over. 

This time it was Tetsurou’s turn to raise an eyebrow that was met with a shrug of the shoulders “He looks really good riding.” 

The cackle that came from Tetsurou was barely human but he got it under control quickly and held out his canteen to the man beside him. “You need some water there, partner?”    
  
“Oh shut it. Don’t act like you weren’t looking too.” Kenma snapped, snatching the water anyway and taking a swig. Under him Tetsurou felt Cesar shift and flick his tail ears laying back, obviously impatient to get moving again. Kenma must have noticed and narrowed his eyes a sharp look coming about him.   
  
“I still don’t trust that horse.”    
“Well he doesn’t trust you.” Tetsurou responded defensively. It had only been a month since Cesar had been bought and Tetsurou could see what Kenma was saying but after Ginger had died Tetsurou couldn’t help but become attached and fast. Ginger had been one of the last stock that Kenma’s father had picked himself and Tetsurou had been riding her since he was twelve. He had bought and sold hundreds of cattle since they took over running the place, but a horse was different and to have the first one he had picked for himself be unsuitable might just feel like the biggest failure of his life.    
  
“Or you.” Kenma bit back. “I keep telling you, either fix the problem or trade him in.”    
  
“We are working on it.” And that was true. He was working on gaining trust with the horse and there was progress there, but he was still too skittish and had a tendency to buck as well as not breaking well. It had never been enough to throw him though and the thought of selling him off again just felt all kinds of wrong. “He is just a little hot-blooded that’s all.”    
  
Kenma scoffed and probably would have had some kind of witty remark to make but it was in that moment that their tall dark and handsome visitor turned away from his work and came over to them.    
  
“That’s done. What’s next?” Keiji asked in his same soft, straightforward tone. Tetsurou for some reason couldn’t find his breath. Kenma managed to take the lead, explaining how the rest of their day would go and leading the way down the hill towards their next task while Tetsurou caught his breath. It had been a long time since someone had phased him the way Keiji managed to and it had been a long time since he had seen Kenma looking this interested in anything.    
  
They were never unhappy together, the two of them, but something about this strange man was such a breath of fresh air and he knew Kenma was breathing it in just as heavily as he was.    
  
They passed a wonderful evening, sitting around the parlour talking. Keiji telling stories about hiking through rainforests and up to the top of mountains, about meeting giant rodents and birds that could talk, Kenma and Tetsurou sharing their own stories that felt mundane to them but it seemed as though Keiji clung to every word as they talked about all the people who lived in town and told stories that highlighted their antics. 

There was a fierce comradery already brewing as the three men climbed the stairs and when Keiji brushed his hand over Tetsurou’s shoulder as he wished him a good night, every suspicion he and Kenma had had was confirmed in his mind. The long thin fingers left a heat behind them and as Tetsurou turned to glance at Kenma who was holding his own shoulder where he had gotten his own pat like if he let go the feeling would leave him, he knew that this fresh air was bringing a storm in on its wind.

* * *

It had been several days since Keiji had first become a guest on Kenma and Tetsurou’s ranch and he had to say that since his childhood had ended he had never felt so at home in a place. The work was a fresh challenge and the men were alarmingly charming. He hadn’t meant to be flirting that night, had beat himself up about it laying in bed thinking over the two men that were clearly already quite committed to each other, but it didn’t seem to bother them.   
  
On the contrary, as the days went on the two of them leaned further into it, sitting closer to Keiji on the sofa in the evening, hands resting on his shoulder or brushing across his back as they passed. Once Kenma had even rested his head on Keiji's shoulder as they sat under the shade of an oak while taking a break on a long hot day. 

And however, up in the air or uncertain the terms of whatever was happening might be Keiji felt no anxiety about it. It was an odd experience for him to not be on guard or over thinking, but something about these men put him at ease and he didn’t really feel any desire to consider the finer details of what they were doing.    
  
He did know he was dreading it’s end which was coming closer everyday. Vianca would be safe to travel again in only a few more days and then whatever paradise he had found here would be lost again. He wouldn’t dwell on it though. There was no point. He was used to moving on and this would be no different in the end, just a strange and marvelous flirtation. 

  
Keiji listened to Tetsurou clear his throat for what was the fifth time since they had sat down to eat dinner, sensing a building tension that had not been present in the house until today. It had been hot as hell outside and the heat had rung out every ounce of energy they had, far worse than it would have normally. They were all tired, but Keiji had watched Kenma sway through the doorway and had been reminded of a conversation from only two nights ago.    
  
“Kenma was always sick as a kid, I swear.” Tetsurou had said as they talked about their childhood, Kenma and Tetsurou far more fondly than Keiji, though he had noticed there was a careful deliberacy with which stories from before teenage years were avoided. “He’s still like that. Like a precious flower that wilts in the sun.”    
  
Kenma had hissed and punched Tetsurou’s arm in exchange for his comment, but watching the smaller man slumped in his chair, moving his food around more than eating it, he couldn’t help see the truth in the statement.    
  
Tetsurou cleared his throat even more pointedly and this time Kenma’s head shot up, an irritated scowl tightening around his eyes. “Did you swallow a goddamn bug or something Tetsu.” 

The contrast between the tight look on Kenma’s face and Tetsurou’s lazy expression as he put down his fork and propped his elbows up on the table was striking and the smooth burn of his expression was hard to look away from. “No, but maybe you did? You must have eaten something earlier to explain why you aren’t hungry now.” 

  
“I never said I wasn’t hungry.” Kenma argued. 

“Then. eat.”

The silence that fell felt like being inside a cave, the stillness somehow impossibly loud. It was broken quickly though, the sound of wood scraping across wood as Tetsurou pushed his chair back and stood echoing heavily around them. “Pardon, Keiji. We’ll be right back.”    
  
The hand wrapping around Kenma’s upper arm seemed pretty inexorable and he seemed to realize that as he let himself be pulled up and willingly shucked his boots back on before storming outside. That was apparently as far as Kenma had decided to go without a fight and Keiji tried his hardest to not watch them through the window over the sink that was straight in his line of vision.    
  
The boy who had moments ago had barely been capable of lifting a fork had wheeled around in the middle of the yard and was standing at his full height and though that barely put him above eye level with his partner’s chest he was yelling something fierce. Keiji had been around a lot of coarse people in his life and he had never been under the illusion that Kenma was any sort of saint, but the sheer amount of vulgarity he managed to fit into his next sentence made Keiji want to do exactly what Tetsurou did, turn the resistant man to the side and land six unrelenting smacks to the seat of his pants.    
  
It didn’t seem to help much though, Kenma standing still for only a moment before turning away and walking out of Keiji’s vision while snarling out “You are an ass” a weak statement when compared to what he had said before. Tetsurou followed him and Keiji sat in silence, unable to make out the rest of the conversation that must now be taking place on the far side of the house. He could however still hear the distinct and unmistakable sound of leather whistling through the air and the crack it made when it hit its mark.    
  
At this point he and Tetsurou’s methods would have diverged, Keiji having too many haunting memories of just such an implement, but these two men seemed to hold an enormous amount of trust in one another and so Keiji trusted them as well, putting away any anxiety he might feel in favor of slowly munching on his biscuit and listening to the licks slow. It was a reassuringly short amount of time before silence fell again and not long after the pair made their way back around to the front of the house, Tetsurou’s arm slung over his lover’s shoulder like the smaller man hadn’t been airing his lungs out at him only a few minutes ago.    
  
They enter the house in silence apart from the semi constant sniffing coming from Kenma as he pulled off his boots and sat back down in his chair, the tell tale wince crossing over his face for only a second before he picked up his fork and started eating his long cold meat dutifully. 

Tetsurou retook his own seat and glanced at Keiji, his eyes asking a different question in the same way they had days ago when they had been unsure of each other’s persuasion. This was no different, in fact it was easier. Keiji returned the glance with a small smile before pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and passing it across the table to Kenma who took it without looking up, fingers brushing over Keiji’s knuckles lightly, lingering longer than necessary.

* * *

Keiji was going to leave tomorrow and Kenma was already missing him. It had been six days that would forever be burned into his brain as some of the best of his life. Ridiculous really, that he had become so attached so quickly, but it had been so easy to fall for him and somehow even better to watch Tetsurou do the same. Kenma had never had more fun than he did watching Tetsurou get tripped up over his words around Keiji, or watch the blush hit his face pinker than a sunburn when Keiji offered him praise. 

The time the three of them spent together was full of a lively energy that made Kenma cling to time, watching the clock over the fire and praying for the hands not to move and being sadly disappointed when it passed them by. Inversely the times when he and Keiji were alone time really did seem to halt. Moments of peace laying in the shade or afternoons spent in the stable checking on Vianca played back through his mind like they were in the slow motion of a dream, and it was a dream that Kenma had no desire to wake up from. 

Riding through the planes behind Keiji for what would be the last time was certainly not putting him in a good mood, but it wasn’t half as bad as the mood that took him over when his eyes landed on Tetsurou.    
  
The man was forty or so feet from them, mounted on Cesar who’s attention was fixed into the woods ahead of them. Tetsurou was trying to break his eye contact away from whatever it was that was drawing his attention, but it wasn’t working, the animal far too stubborn and unbroken to look away. He could feel annoyance building in his chest at the fact that Tetsurou still insisted on riding a horse that had yet to break well and who had enough hot-bloodedness that he should be on the tracks. 

His irritation suddenly turned to panic as there was a quiet crack from within the woods when whatever the horse had been watching out for moved and just like that fear overtook him. Cesar reared back and bolted, sprinting away from the perceived threat, which was most likely just a deer, at full speed and only stopping when he had gone far up to the top of the next hill. But Kenma couldn’t care less where the horse went. All he saw was Tetsurou flying backwards and landing with a sickening thud against the grass.    
His ears were ringing as he jumped off Cash and ran towards the other man, the vision playing over and over in mind in different horrifying variations. If Tetsurou had had less presence of mind he could have tried to hold onto the horse as it reared and flipped them both, being crushed under a ton of weight. The horse could have reared and not bolted, stepped back onto Tetsurou layin gon the ground and killed him. The scenarios kept running even as he watched Tetsurou get to his feet, coming up closer to him with every step until they were face to face.    
  
He had never cared that Tetsurou was so much bigger than him. It had never made a difference in their relationship and it certainly didn’t now as he reached up and grabbed his collar, jerking down hard so their faces were inches away.    
  
“Are you out of your bloody fucking mind!” He yelled, shaking the sweaty hand that was tangled in the front of Tetsurou’s shirt and watching him be jarred along with it. “What did I say?! What did I say about that goddamn horse!? I told you, I  _ told  _ you.” 

Tetsurou was looking stunned, his mouth hanging open as Kenma let go of his shirt in favor of pushing against his chest weekly, accomplishing nothing, but causing the other man to take a step back. Kenma did it again, and again, pushing against Tetsurou’s chest even after he stopped moving, only vaguely aware that there were tears mixing with the sweat on his face.    
  
“You could have died Tetsu! You could have died and if you had died I would have had to-”    
  
A hand pressed into his chest knocks his next words out of him and it’s a good thing too because as he came down from blind panic and he could see tears in Tetsurou’s eyes that would have certainly fallen if he had said what he was about to. For a brief moment he thought the hand belonged to Tetsurou, but in the next second his vision refocused and Keiji was in front of him, separating the two of them and facing Kenma with an unreadable expression. 

“Tetsurou, are you hurt?” He asked in a placid tone, still staring Kenma down.   
  
“My-my back hurts.” Tetsurou started in a shaky voice, though he was clearly trying to retain some type of composure. "I’ll probably have some bruises, and I musta messed up my finger letting go of the rein, but it’s fine. Nothing to worry about.”   
  
Any calm that Keiji had managed to bring back to Kenma left him as soon as it had come, his panic morphing back into sheer rage. “Nothing to worry about!? That’s bullshit Tetsu, I-”  
  
“ _Enough_ ” 

The single word came out slowly and with a finality that made a shiver run down Kenma’s spine, his mouth snapping shut as Keiji’s eyes hardened against his own. “Tetsurou, go inside.” he commanded, still staring at Kenma even as Tetsurou floundered behind them. “Now please.” 

That got him going, sprinting down towards the house with a furtive glance back. They stood for another moment, Kenma’s heavy breath now loud in the still air. 

“Are you calm now?” Keiji asked in the same unaffected tone he had been using since he stepped in front of Tetsurou.    
  
“No.” Kenma snapped back, hands wiping at his cheeks and brow before running through his hair. “I’m not. how could I be? He-” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this mad at him.” He admitted, deflating finally into the admission. He and Tetsurou had gotten into plenty of disagreements, some of which they reached a middle ground on and others of which they admitted blame for and accepted the consequences of. It had started almost immediately after Kenma’s father had died and they had never questioned it. 

Tetsurou had drunk himself into a stupor two days after the burial and in Kenma’s mind it had been so simple. His father was gone and if he was taking his place on this land then he would take his place in this respect too and he had done just that. From there it just kept going, each of them bearing responsibility for the other when it was called for and it was certainly called for now, but Kenma just didn’t know if he could do it. 

“I’ve always been able to separate myself from it, to be rational, but this? I told him, Keiji. I told him so many times. I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Then I will.”

It was said in the same simple way Keiji stated everything, the same simple way he had offered a solution to how to divide the labor on his first day here and Kenma felt a fierce loyalty rush in his chest. “I can’t ask you to do that.”    
  
“You aren’t asking me, I’m telling you. If Tetsurou will let me then I’ll deal with it, because you aren’t in a fit condition to do so.” Keiji stated, still holding his hand to Kenma’s chest, doubtless feeling his heartbeat through his palm.    
  
Keiji was like those mules he drove, Kenma realized as he stared into dark blue eyes filled with insurmountable determination. He was resolved and stable, unmovable unless politely asked and always making the choice that seemed most logical. Keiji had the same stubborn yet sensible nature, but the most similar thing between them was that unlike a horse, you couldn’t spook a mule. 

He didn’t think as he fell forward, the hand on his chest giving way to allow him to collapse into Keiji’s arms and bury his face in his shoulder. It was a lot, the most intimate they had done up to this point, but Kenma didn’t care if he was crossing some sort of line in the sand. He knew Keiji wouldn’t get spooked and that was all it took to let him in. After all if he was standing here, after everything he had just seen and still taking charge Kenma knew there was no getting rid of him. 

“You stay out here. Take the horses back to the paddock and stay with them.” Keiji whispered, hands running down his back and petting the back of his head in the way he had been wishing they would all week. “And try to relax. Tetsurou will be alright and you all can talk later.”   
  
Oh they would be talking alright. Kenma didn’t care what kind of tanning his partner got from Keiji, he would still be getting an earful.

* * *

Tetsurou was sitting at the table when Keiji came through the door and he made a sad picture. He wasn’t doing anything, wasn’t even looking at anything, just staring off into the middle distance like he had seen a ghost. He snapped out of it as soon as Keiji’s boots hit the entry way though, standing up in an instant and looking nervously at the space behind Keiji.    
  
“Where’s Kenma? I need to-”   
  
“He is by the paddock calming down. Sit.” Keiji interrupted. He had been doing that a lot today and normally he would consider it rude, but the hysterics didn’t need to be allowed to run wild and it seemed like both of these men had a tendency to go on if not shut down.    
  
“But I need to see him. I need to apologize.” Tetsurou protested, even as he sunk back down into his chair.    
  
“There is plenty of time.” Keiji reassured, taking the chair catty-cornered to Tetsurou’s own, the one that had subconsciously become his over the course of the last week. “Show me your hand.”

Tetsurou coward slightly but gave his hand anyway, letting Keiji hold it in his own. Half his left hand was swollen and there was a light bruise creeping in around the knuckle of his ring finger. “You can move it?” Keiji asked and was pleased when the other nodded and demonstrated, flexing his hand into a fist and unfurling it again. “Okay, it’s just a sprain then. We can make a splint for it and I have some hot pepper salve that you can use to manage the pain, but it shouldn’t be too bad”   
  
Keiji watched Tetsurou grimace, but whatever he was thinking he kept to himself, looking down at his hand when Keiji gave it back to him with a frown. 

“And you’re sure there is nothing else?” Keiji pushed, wanting to be really sure he knew what he was dealing with before he moved on with his plan. He didn’t think it would really be an issue on this end actually. Kenma had been the one he had thought would resist, but he had melted into Keiji like sun soaking into his skin. 

“Just sore. Now can I talk to Kenma? He’s going to ta-” Tetsurou cut himself off this time, his face coloring as he lost eye contact once again. 

“To tan you? No, not this time.” Keiji sighed, ready for the confused look he was met with.    
  
“What do you mean? He always- what did he say? Why won’t he?” Tetsurou’s words spilled out too fast and Keiji realized his error, resting a grounding hand on his shoulder.

“He isn’t doing it because I won’t let him, not because he wouldn’t” Keiji tried, hoping it would be enough to set at ease whatever anxiety Tetsurou had that Kenma was done with him. “He loves you very much, but he is not in an emotional state to handle this.”

Tetsurou took a deep inhale through his nose and Keiji saw his eyes well up the same way they had back in the pastures, but he was nodding anyway. 

“Which is why I’m going to do it.” 

The nodding stopped, Tetsurou frozen solid, staring at Keiji. “Huh?” 

“I’m going to spank you. Provided you let me.” Keiji explained his hand still on Tetsurou’s shoulders, holding him still in the same way he had held Kenma still with a hand to his chest. There was a long pause. The kind that stretched out for hours but when you looked at the clock it had only been seconds and Keiji realized he was going to need to prod Tetsurou a little harder out of his shock. 

He stood up and took Tetsurou’s uninjured hand in his, guiding him to stand as well, then taking his chin and tilting it down to meet his dark eyes. “Do you trust me Tetsurou? I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I trust you. I would trust you with my life and it would mean the world if you would trust me with this.” 

The breath that Tetsurou had seemed to be holding in finally released and he was nodding again. “Okay yeah. You can do it, I trust you.” 

Keiji couldn’t help but smile, moving his hand from chin to cheek and stroking his thumb over the lingering pinkness in them. He had never seen someone who blushed as much a Tetsurou did and he relished it every time. The way it painted his tanned skin was practically artful to Keiji and he had to admit he had gone out of his way on more than one occasion to get it to happen. 

He didn’t say anything, just sidestepping Tetsurou to walk over to the counter and open the drawer, pulling out a wooden spoon and returning to his chair before Tetsurou could move from his spot.    
  
“That’s what you’re gonna use?” Tetsurou questioned. “I haven’t gotten swatted with a spoon since Kenma’s ma passed.” 

Keiji just hummed as he sat, tucking the spoon behind him on the chair and reaching out to take Tetsurou’s wrist, guiding him to turn and stand in front of where Keiji had pushed the chair some distance from the table.    
  
“And I’m going over your knee?! Keiji, I’m too big. I won’t fit. I usually bend over something or-”    
  
“Tetsu? Are you in charge of this punishment?” Keiji asked, finally adding just a little edge to his voice as he held both of Tetsurou’s hips squarely, holding him steady and hardening his gaze up at him.    
  
“No sir.” Came the whispered response that Keiji could barely believe had been spoken. He wouldn’t acknowledge it though. It wasn’t his place to know exactly what went on in Tetsurou’s head quite yet. Instead he just reached for his fly and made quick work of his pants before maneuvering the fidgeting man over both of his knees. 

“These are coming down too.” He said before sliding down Tetsurou’s undergarments, only getting a slight gasp in response, followed by the highest pitch sound he had heard from this giant man yet, just a tiny quiet whine in the back of his throat.    
  
Keiji already had his hand raised when he went to shuck up the back of Tetsurou’s shirt so he could get at the top half of his bottom, but he paused in mid air at what he saw. There was a dark purple bruise on the right side of his hip and Keiji couldn’t help but bring his hand down gently to brush over it. “Oh my sweet-” He broke himself off, thinking maybe the best time to start using a pet name wasn’t this one. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

Tetsurou tensed up as his fingers brushed over the bruise and he looked back, wincing as he saw it. “I didn’t know it looked like that.”    
  
“Mmmmm, It’s okay. I’ll be careful of it.” 

He didn’t wait for a response, bringing his hand down straight onto the center of the backside before him. He didn’t waste a moment once he started, landing swat after swat all over Tetsurou’s unmarred skin, waiting to see a physical response. It took a while for Tetsurou to start to react at all, small jerking movements and light panting sounds escaping his lips, but Keiji could tell that it wasn’t for lack of feeling it so he decided to start his lecture. 

“Do you understand how irresponsible it is to ride an ill broken or poor tempered horse? Even if you are as skilled a rider as you are it’s bound to be unsafe, especially if you aren’t doing anything to correct the behavior.” Keiji lectured, feeling himself finally realizing just why Kenma had been so upset. “Something much worse could have happened today and it was all because you wouldn’t listen to advice and chose instead to ignore a problem.” 

“But I don’t want to get rid of him Keiji! I love him.” Tetsurou said, strain obvious in his voice.    
  
“You don’t have to get rid of him, sweetheart.”-screw it. If Tetsurou was going to act like such a sweetheart, Keiji would call him that regardless of circumstance- “You just need to train him up a bit.” Keiji reassured, still swatting at Tetsurou’s now pink bottom and thighs. 

“No!” Tetsurou cried out and suddenly it was like a dam broke, his chest hitching while little wet drops started appearing on the wood floor. “Kenma is gonna make me get rid of him, I know it! I said I could do it but it’s not working and I don’t know what I can do!” 

He was sobbing now and Keiji switched from bringing his hand down to rubbing soothing circles for a moment. “It’s okay, I’ll help you. I’ve trained worse behaved horses before, and if I can make a mule listen I can handle a horse.”    
  
“But you’re leaving!” 

Oh. Keiji had sort of forgotten that small detail in the rush of the last few hours. He didn’t have a way to respond so instead he just slid Tetsurou off his knee, guiding him to kneel between his legs and relishing the way Tetsurou’s arms clung around his waist.    
  
“I don’t want you to go.” He cried out and it was like all the unspoken closeness that had been growing had finally piled up on them, pushing them into each other and forcing the confession out.    
  
“I don’t want to go either. I don’t know if I’d ever want to go.” Keiji confessed, his hands tangling in Tetsurou’s hair as he spoke. 

Black eyes that were usually heavily hooded looked up at him with wide wonder. “You don’t?” Keiji shook his head, feeling a tightness in his own throat. “Then don’t.”    
  
It was Keiji’s turn to be surprised by the frankness of someone’s statement.    
  
“I mean, go finish your delivery, but then just come back.” Tetsurou said through a sniffle, tears starting to dry on his face.    
  
“What about Kenma? He has a say in this and you and him are…” Keiji trailed off, unsure of exactly how to finish it. They clearly loved each other, but they had both spent the entire week flirting around with Keiji.    
  
“We will ask him, and he will say yes. I know him like the back of my hand, I would have been surprised if he let you go even if you wanted to.” Tetsurou responded, now half beaming through his tears. It was too sweet. Keiji couldn’t resist it, bending forward to plant a kiss against the other man’s forehead. 

“Then you don’t have to worry about getting rid of Cesar, because I’m going to make him the best trained gelding this side of the border.” The sparkle in Tetsurou’s eyes was beautiful, and Keiji loathed to put it out, but the spoon behind him was reminding him of some unfinished business. “But we will aren’t done sweetheart.”    
  
The smile predictably dropped as Keiji picked up the spoon and patted his lap again, but Tetsurou didn’t attempt to argue, perfectly aware that his punishment had certainly not yet fit his crime. “What you have been doing in ignoring your safety for weeks is unacceptable and I will tell you here and now that it’s not going to happen again because if I had had a say we would have been in this position a long time ago.”    
  
Tetsurou ducked his head down at the lecture, but it reared back up again when the spoon fell for the first time, his whole body tensing as Keiji set into a steady rhythm. He continued for a long time, making sure to leave a deep impression on the undercurve and thighs where it would be most uncomfortable to ride. Tetsurou wasn’t crying like before though, despite his skin going from pink to a dark red. He still jerked slightly and let out gasps and pants, but his tears had left him along with his doubts and when Keiji pulled them both back up to their feet all that was left was a pinkness around his eyes and a few stains on his cheeks.

They had made good timing too because Kenma must have decided he was tired of waiting, barging in and making the door collide with the wall. “Are you done hiding his ass yet I need to say my piece.” 

“Yes I’m done.” Keiji managed to get out before Kenma was on Tetsurou, pressing his face into his chest. 

“You ass, you absolute ass. Don’t ever do that to me again.”    
  
“I won’t, I won’t and I’m really sorry.” Tetsurou said softly into Kenma’s hair. “But there is something else to talk about. Keiji is staying.”    
  
Kenma pulled his head back, his brow creased in comical confusion. “Of course he is. Did he think I would let him leave?”

* * *

Tetsurou looked over at the cat sitting on the rail of the porch from where he and Kenma sat on the swinging wooden bench. She looked like she was watching for something just like them, but Kenma always said he put too much of his own emotions into animals so he chalked it up to her looking out for a mouse scurrying across the yard and not looking out for a handsome man that she had been missing desperately for three weeks. It seemed more likely. 

The sun was starting to set, skirting along the ridges of the trees and casting fascinating looking shadows across the dust of the yard. Kenma had dozed off against his shoulder so Tetsurou had nothing else to do but look at the long thin shadows and imagine what they could be.    
  
There was an eel with the shadow of a sword slicing through its neck running over it, and there was a fishing line, cast into the dark pond that was the shadow the barn cast, and there was the outline of a man, tall and thin, with a flat brimmed hat and a poncho and-   
  
“Keiji!” He yelled, pulling Kenma out of his sleep as he shot up and raced across the yard to the man who was leading his horse and now only one mule, Vianca, towards the house.    
  
Arms opened up to greet him and he went for them gladly, throwing his own over shoulders he knew were stronger than they appeared, feeling Kenma barrel into them seconds later. They stayed there for a while, basking in the setting sun and the sweet embrace. Till Keiji finally pulled away, a wistful look playing in his deep eyes. “You know, this place felt like home from the moment I laid my eyes on it.”    
  
“Welcome home, Keiji.”


	4. The little things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short interlude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in a power outage by candle light and very hastily typed it up so please forgive any mistakes. My dear Bee was speaking of Keiji's harmonica and i just couldn't resist. <3

Tetsurou had had a long day. 

A busted up fence all the way at the other end of the property had made sure of that. The morning had been spent fixing it anf the news that the herd was two short sealed the fate of how he would spend the rest of his day. He had even taken dinner with him when he had riden out on Cash in search of the runaway cattle, which had been a good thing considering it had taken him till dusk to find them and till sundown to get back home and through the door.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one who had had a bad day though, he thought as he walked into the sitting room to see the saddest, yet sweetest picture before him.

Keiji was sitting on the couch with Koutarou's head burried in his lap, the bigger man's arms tangled around his waist, still sniffing wetly. Usually Keiji's hands would be rubbing his back or carding through his hair, but this time they were otherwise occupied with holding his silver harmonica up to his lips.

Tetsurou didn't need to interrupt to know what had happened, feeling little curiosity to even know what Koutarou had done to earn himself a trip over a knee. Whatever it was it had been dealt with so he was content to make his way over to his favorite chair and listen to the lilting sound of the harmonica, watching Keiji's chest rise and falling as he played a soothing melody. 

It was one Tetsurou recognized and couldn't resist, humming first until the end of the bar and then singing in a low timbre. 

" _ I've been thinking a long time my darling, _

_ Of those sweet words you never would say. _

_ But the last of my fond hopes have vanished, _

_ For they say you are going away." _

Koutarou turned his head to look at him, his cheek pressing into Keiji's knee as he listened to the words of the song Tetsurou felt sure he had never heard before. The soft light of the oil lamps flickered in his honey colored eyes and illuminated his face, puffy and pink from crying.

_ "Then come sit here awhile ere you leave us, _

_ Do not hasten to bid us adieu, _

_ And remember the Red River Valley, _

_ And the cowboy who loves you so true." _

Koutarou's lip wobbled and for a moment it seemed like he might hide again as a single tear rolled over his nose. It must have been a very  _ very _ bad day.

_ "I have promised you, darling, that never, _

_ Would words from my lips cause you pain, _

_ My life will be yours forever, _

_ If only you'll love me again." _

He looked at Keiji as he sang the lines, as if to speak the words for him. The calm gratitude in his deep eyes filled Tetsurou to the brim. He would make sure Keiji knew later, that without a shadow of a doubt, there was never a moment when any of them stopped loving him. 

There was a slight creek and he looked up to see Kenma leaning against the doorway, his hair loose around his shoulders. He nodded at Tetsurou and they began the next line together. 

_ "There never could be such a longing, _

_ In the heart of a poor cowboy's breast, _

_ As dwells in the heart you are breaking,  _

_ While I wait in my home in the west." _

The whole house seemed to shift along with them and in the brief second of pause for Keiji's breath Tetsurou heard the sound of nature all around them. The wind blowing through the trees and an owl hooting seemed to be singing along with them.

_ "Do you think of this valley you are leaving? _

_ Oh how lonely and dreary it will be. _

_ Do you think of the kind hearts you're breaking, _

_ And the pain you are causing me." _

The last note faded out and Keiji moved the harmonica from his lips, placing it on the side table and stroking Koutarou's hair with his now free hand.

"That's a sad song." Koutarou sniffed, wiping away the final tears clinging to his eyelashes.

"It is." Keiji hummed.

"Most of them are." Kenma added, moving from his place in the doorway to sit crossed legged on the rug. 

"Well  _ I'm  _ not leaving. I'm never leaving." Koutarou cried out, holding onto Keiji tighter. Tetsurou didn't miss the look of relief that washed over his raven haired partner's face. "There should be more songs about happy cowboys who love each other."

Tetsurou let out a single chuckle at that, leaning back in his chair as he watched Koutarou finally sit up, wincing when his bottom touched the couch and immediately shifting to lean on Keiji so his weight was on his hip. "Sorry baby, only heartbroken people have time to write songs. The rest of us are too busy being happy." 

"I guess it's alright then." Koutarou hummed thoughtfully. "If it makes them feel better."

Tetsurou hoped it did and he sincerely hoped he never would have to find out for himself. 

  
  



End file.
